As smartphones continue to be an inherent part of life and grow as a primary source of entertainment—particularly among young people—it leads to a decrease in physical activity, experts say. In a recent study presented at the American College of Cardiology Latin America Conference 2019, researchers concluded that college students who used their smartphones five… Continue reading Smartphone Use and Obesity
Category: Obesity
Options for Body Contouring after Bariatric Surgery
Tens of thousands of people each year achieve dramatic weight loss by undergoing bariatric surgery. According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, in 2017, 228,000 people underwent surgery to restrict the amount of food the stomach can hold or reduce the absorption of nutrients or both. Surgical techniques vary according to the… Continue reading Options for Body Contouring after Bariatric Surgery
What Obesity Does to the Spine
With so much focus on the many health risks of obesity – including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer – many people overlook what obesity can also do to the spine, About one-third of American adults – approximately 79 million people – have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as obese.… Continue reading What Obesity Does to the Spine
Cinnamon Could Help Fight Obesity
Research done at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute and published in the December 2017 issue of the journal Metabolism has determined how a common holiday spice–cinnamon–might be enlisted in the fight against obesity. A release from the university explains that scientists had previously observed that cinnamaldehyde, an essential oil that gives cinnamon its… Continue reading Cinnamon Could Help Fight Obesity
Warning to Doctors about “Healthy Obesity”
Researchers are warning physicians to pay attention to the increased cardiovascular health risks of patients who are classed as either ‘healthy obese’ or deemed to be ‘normal weight’ but have metabolic abnormalities such as diabetes. Academics at the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Applied Health Research carried out the largest study of its kind to… Continue reading Warning to Doctors about “Healthy Obesity”
American Heart Association: Government Needs to Help Fight Obesity
Editor’s note: These remarks, from Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association, analyze a recent report on obesity in the U.S. — one of our greatest public-health issues – and talks about the need for politicians to get involved. This year’s State of Obesity report from Trust for America’s Health and the… Continue reading American Heart Association: Government Needs to Help Fight Obesity
Fiery Capsaicin Could Help Fight Obesity
Scientists have discovered a dietary strategy that may address obesity by reducing endotoxemia, a major contributor to chronic, low-grade inflammation (CLGI). The researchers uncovered an interaction between dietary capsaicin (CAP), the major pungent component in red chili, and gut microbiota. This novel mechanism for the anti-obesity effect of CAP acts through prevention of microbial dysbiosis… Continue reading Fiery Capsaicin Could Help Fight Obesity
When Medications Work against Weight Loss
While diet, exercise and behavior modification are essential components of obesity management, a successful long-term weight loss strategy should also include avoiding or minimizing medication-related weight gain, according to researchers. In a paper published in Gastroenterology, investigators from the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine underscore the necessity for physicians to evaluate the… Continue reading When Medications Work against Weight Loss
Researchers Link Obesity to More Kinds of Cancer
There’s yet another reason to maintain a healthy weight as we age. An international team of researchers has identified eight additional types of cancer linked to excess weight and obesity: stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, ovary, meningioma (a type of brain tumor), thyroid cancer and the blood cancer multiple myeloma. Limiting weight gain over the… Continue reading Researchers Link Obesity to More Kinds of Cancer
Medical Devices that Treat Obesity: What to Know
An update from the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on devices that may help if diet and exercise aren’t eliminating obesity: If your health care provider finds that you’re overweight or obese, you’re not alone. More than 68 percent of U.S. adults are considered overweight, according to federal statistics. And close to 36 percent… Continue reading Medical Devices that Treat Obesity: What to Know
Ordering Meals Earlier Is Healthier
People eat in a healthier manner when they avoid impulse ordering and plan meals at least an hour before eating, researchers have found. New findings from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Mellon University show that people choose higher-calorie meals when ordering immediately before eating, and lower-calorie… Continue reading Ordering Meals Earlier Is Healthier
Obesity and A Sweet Tooth: The Chemical Connection
The brain chemical dopamine may lead obese people to be fonder of sweets than thinner people, according to new research. The findings were published in the journal Diabetes. “We believe we may have identified a new abnormality in the relationship between reward response to food and dopamine in the brains of individuals with obesity,” said… Continue reading Obesity and A Sweet Tooth: The Chemical Connection
For the Obese, Just 5% Weight Loss = Significant Health Benefits
Those who struggle with obesity, take heart. Losing as little as 5% of your body weight is enough to reap significant health benefits, according to a study published February 22nd 2016 in Cell Metabolism. The randomized controlled trial of 40 obese men and women compared, for the first time, the health outcomes of 5%, 10%,… Continue reading For the Obese, Just 5% Weight Loss = Significant Health Benefits
Body Mass Index May Be Unreliable Health Tool
How accurate is the widely accepted BMI (Body Mass Index)? Not very, according to new research out of UC Santa Barbara and UCLA. The study reveals that millions of Americans labeled overweight or obese based on their BMI are, in fact, “perfectly healthy.” Their findings, which appear in the International Journal of Obesity, suggest that… Continue reading Body Mass Index May Be Unreliable Health Tool
A Whopping 92% of Restaurants Offer High Calorie Meals
Meals consumed at fast-food restaurants are often seen as one of the biggest contributors to the obesity epidemic. But according to a January 2016 study by Tufts University published in the Journal of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 92 percent of 364 measured restaurant meals from both large-chain and non-chain (local) restaurants exceeded… Continue reading A Whopping 92% of Restaurants Offer High Calorie Meals
Surprise! Junk Food Is Not to Blame for Obesity
While a diet of chocolate bars and cheeseburgers washed down with a sugary soda is inadvisable from a nutritional standpoint, these so-called “junk foods” are not likely to be a leading cause of obesity in the United States according to a Cornell University Food and Brand Lab study conducted by the Lab co-directors David Just,… Continue reading Surprise! Junk Food Is Not to Blame for Obesity
Weight Discrimination Linked to Increased Risk of Death
In recent years, Florida State University College of Medicine researchers Angelina R. Sutin and Antonio Terracciano have found that people who experience weight discrimination are more likely to become or remain obese, to develop chronic health problems, and to have a lower satisfaction with life. Now, according to a release from the university, they’ve found… Continue reading Weight Discrimination Linked to Increased Risk of Death
What Is Obesity? Metabolic Signatures Offer New Comprehensive View
As obesity has risen in the United States and all around the world, so too have many other obesity-related health conditions: diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and maybe even Alzheimer’s disease. But how exactly do those extra pounds lead to such widespread trouble, and how might we go about developing better ways to prevent or… Continue reading What Is Obesity? Metabolic Signatures Offer New Comprehensive View